Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Barton College dropped a pair of Conference Carolinas softball games at league-leading Limestone College on Saturday, falling 2-1 and 12-1.
With the losses, the Lady Bulldogs slipped to 10-22 overall and 3-13 in conference play. The wins helped the Saints improve to 21-11 overall and 10-2 in the league.
Game 1: Limestone 2, Barton 1
Junior pitcher Liz White (6-10) gave Barton a chance in the opening game as she limited Limestone to just three hits. However, an error led to both runs in the contest for the Saints and left White with another hard-luck loss.
The Lady Bulldogs scored their lone run in the top of the third when Limestone pitcher Courtney Smith gave up a single to Crystal Britton and then consecutive walks to Megan Kelly, Donna Nimmo and Rachel Jordan, the last one forcing in the run.
However, the Saints came right back to score both their runs in the bottom of the inning. After White issued a one-out walk to Camry Taylor, Bailie Maybry followed with a single to right field that got past the fielder, allowing Taylor to score all the way from first. Maybry moved all the way to third on the error and scored on a two-out single by Erika Hansen.
Just one more Limestone batter reached base in the game off White, that one on a walk, and she was caught stealing to end the fifth inning. However, Barton managed just two more hits the rest of the way off Smith, both Taylor Bowden singles. Bowden reached scoring position with one out in the fifth inning on the first one but was left stranded there.
Game 2: Limestone 12, Barton 1 (5 inn.)
Limestone made up for its lack of offense in Game 1, pounding out 12 hits in the second contest off three Barton pitchers.
The Saints used three hits and a pair of walks to score three times in the first inning and chase BC starter Ashlyn Reagan (1-12), then added a single run in the second off reliever Hayley Baxley.
Barton cut the deficit to 4-1 in the top of the third, but did not cash in on a bigger opportunity. Kelly doubled with two outs, and both Bowden and Jordan drew walks to load the bases. Betsy Braswell followed with a single to left to score Kelly, but Saints pitcher Josie Weber got a pop-up to short to end the inning with just the one run allowed.
Weber (12-2), the reigning league pitcher of the week, gave up three hits in three innings of work, walked three and struck out five.
Limestone put the game away with a seven-run inning in the bottom of the third, collecting five hits and a pair of walks. Emma Swearingen provided a two-run single that ended Baxley's afternoon, and BC's third pitcher, Amber Baker, was greeted by a two-run homer from Darrian Jamison.
Weber and reliever Klinnin Carson combined to hold the Lady Bulldogs to four hits over the contest, which was shortened to five innings by the eight-run rule. Kelly accounted for two of the four hits.
The two games were the first of eight over four straight days for BC. The Lady Bulldogs will play at home on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Elizabeth City State University.
